Iris
by Illusive.Night
Summary: She knew she wouldn't be able to stop him; she wasn't someone he truly cared for...he wasn't some lovesick puppy that would do anything to make her happy. He was Uchiha Sasuke, an avenger. He only lived for himself. SasukexOC
1. Prologue

_Once again, though I've taken a different path at the fork, I find myself back at the crossroads. I know it's the same one; I recognize that footprint, that X on the tree over there, and I'm pretty sure that's the gum I spat out two choices ago. When will I choose the path that's right – the path that will lead me out of this rut? _

_But then, that's just it, isn't it? There is no right path, for anyone. To be perfectly clear, there isn't a "correct" path. Maybe all there is to it, is not to worry about which one is correct, but which one is mine...and I'll find it. No matter how many crossroads it takes, I will find it. It has taken far too long for my eyes to open, but now that I can see clearly, I know that there will be plenty more mistakes ahead of me, but I also know that they will be mistakes that will lead me in the right direction. _

_I wish I could have known what I know now, back then, but all I can do now is look forward and move on. I have always been told to follow my gut, and that is what I am doing. Call me crazy, call me delusional, call me whatever you desire; he is alive, he is out there, and I will find him. _

_This is my path._

The scratching of pen-to-paper ended as the writing utensil was softly dropped on to the desk and the notebook shut. Blue eyes closed as a soft sigh escaped her lips, while she leaned back in her chair to stretch her stiff muscles. The ticking clock on her nightstand rang loudly inside her head as she glanced to look at the time.

Eleven thirty-seven.

Had an hour really passed since she had began the arduous task of writing her final journal entry? Yes, time surely flew by when she wrote down her innermost thoughts. Far too much for her liking.

Her silver haired guardian would be appearing soon – the same time as every other day – to check up on her. There was only twenty-three minutes left to finish packing her belongings and leave. It was a possible, but not very plausible task.

"Damn." She cursed softly, as she slowly moved out of the chair and walked to her bed, which now held a small bag and what was left of her belongings. Looking over everything, she pulled open a blank scroll and began setting her things neatly on to it. Fitting as much as she could, she made the designated hand signs to seal the items with her chakra, then closed the scroll and set it in to her bag next to the other two.

Pulling out the final scroll and setting her items down in the same fashion, she sighed and halted at the sudden burst of chakra closing in on her home as she glanced to the clock again.

Eleven forty-nine...He was eleven minutes earlier than usual.

"Kakashi," She looked to the door, where the silver haired jonin now stood.

"Ayame," He glanced to her bed, then back to the plum-haired teen. "I see...you're decision has been made then?"

When his question gave no elicit answer, he sighed and walked into the room while lazily scratching his head. "What about your team, Ayame – "

"We are no longer a team, Kakashi-san. Sasuke has left, Naruto has left, and Sakura is training under Tsunade-sama...Team Seven disbanded long ago."

"That's not true and you know it."

"I only know that I was left alone, and from that I learned many things. Trying to stop me won't do any good, I have made up my mind. I need this, I..." She hesitated slightly as she looked to the two katana leaning against the far wall. "I need to find out for myself, if it is true or not. Please, don't take this away from me."

His coal eye softened at her disheartened plea; a once vibrant soul was now dark, desolate, and alone. He couldn't stand it.

"I was left to look out for you, but I can see now that you are no longer the little girl whom needed a clutch to move forward. You have grown strong, and independent, and I no longer hold any control over you. If this is truly your wish, then I will not stop you."

"...Thank you, Kaka-sensei."

He smiled from under his mask, and walked over to the young woman who he had watch grow over the years; a slight pain arose in his chest from the thought of letting her go. "He will be proud of you, Ayame-chan. I believe you are the only person capable of finding him."

Nodding solemnly, she gripped her left forearm subconsciously and allowed his hand to ruffle her hair, much like Takashi had once done. "I've died,"

Kakashi furrowed his brows at her morbid response, unable to comprehend exactly what she meant.

"Tell everyone that I have died. Word will spread, and no one will look for the last remaining Sakamoto...or the swords I have inherited."

"Is that wise?"

"It's a catch twenty-two," She squeezed her arm tighter. "but it's a situation I am willing to risk, and Tsunade-sama agrees."

He closed his eye. "I see..."

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

Her eyes were closed as she released her arm and ran her fingers over the lone book lying against her now bare mattress; quoting one of the many memorable lines in the overly read story gave her an odd sense of comfort and longing.

He stood there, profoundly confused, but accepting of her current demeanor. At least she was talking more. "I remember when he gave you that book and how you absolutely hated the thought of reading it. Now look at you, quoting it and finding the meanings hidden between the lines."

She smiled softly. "You should read it sometime...I bet it's ten times better than that smut you are normally glued to."

"There is an actual storyline that's quite intriguing..." He deadpanned. "Tell me something, Ayame-chan."

She hummed softly, prodding him to continue.

"What is your reasoning? Why do all of this for someone who may truly be gone?"

"Well," She mulled over the answer carefully. "With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable."

Pulling the bag over her shoulder and grabbing the worn book, she stood in front of Kakashi with a smile as she handed him the item in her hand. "Read it, understand it, and then we will discuss why my book is so much better than yours when I return."

He let out a chuckle as he gripped the book with one hand and ruffled her hair once more with his other. "I look forward to that day, Little Ayame."

"Until then," With a nod, she made her hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the masked man to look around the barren room with a feeling of emptiness. All of his students were now gone and tending to their own matters, and he no longer knew what to do with all the extra time that had been bestowed upon him.

He was officially an empty nester.

"Things could have been so much different if you hadn't left, Sasuke-kun." He sighed to himself before taking one last glance out the window and also disappearing in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"So you have chosen to leave the village, then? Leave all that you know behind for the sake of revenge?"

"You don't know anything."

"I know that what you're doing is a mistake, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Has it truly come down to such formalities, Sakamoto Ayame?"

"Yes."

He smirked, finding amusement in her words. Sakura's rant had been just as annoying as he had expected, but the girl in front of him was definitely not following the mental script he had planned out. "Amuse me, Sakamoto. Tell me why I am being foolish."

She clenched her fists as her eyebrow unconsciously twitched at his lax behavior. "Do you think this funny, Uchiha?"

"There is nothing funny about any of this." He dropped his smirk as he glared intensely at his former teammate.

Glaring back with the same ferocity, she took a step forward. "Do you really think revenge is going to make everything better, huh? You've devoted your life to killing him, but that's not going to bring your family back, Sasuke – that's not going to make you feel any better. Once he's dead, what will you have to live for? Tell me that."

"I will live to restore my clan –"

"Of course you will, because in LaLa Land, Konoha will take you back with open arms! You'll be hailed a hero for killing the mass murderer of your clan, and everyone will forget that you became a traitor! Hooray!"

"Do not mock me."

She dared to take another step forward. "Mocking seems to be the only way through that thick skull of yours."

In a flash he moved behind her, much like he had done to the pinkette laying on the bench next to them, only this time, his opponent was much quicker and much smarter. She maneuvered in a way that blocked his fist at the same time she jumped away, successfully dodging his very serious blow.

"You can't just knock out all your problems, Sasuke. You want to be a man, then you need to face them like one."

He grit his teeth in annoyance as he grew increasingly more impatient with the girl. What was next? Would Naruto appear to try to coax him out reverie?

"Nothing you say is going to change my mind. I don't care about any of you."

A sharp stabbing pain pierced through her chest at his words, but she had to keep up her brave facade, if only for a little while longer. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop him; she wasn't someone he truly cared for...he wasn't some lovesick puppy that would do anything to make her happy. He was Uchiha Sasuke, an avenger. He only lived for himself.

She could at least try to make him feel somewhat bad about leaving, though.

"That's fine," She let down her defense as she gave him an impassive look. "Sakura and Naruto will always have faith in you, but the moment you step foot out of the village, I will no longer consider you anything more than a traitor. I will forget everything, I won't try to look for you, and I sure as hell won't try to bring you back. You will be nothing to me, Uchiha Sasuke."

"At least one member of Team Seven is smart," He turned away from her, and began his journey to the gate; but not before stopping and glancing back at her one last time.

"Give up on being a ninja, Sakamoto. Even if you somehow change your mind, you would never be strong enough...because you'll always be mediocre at best."

Without giving her a chance to respond, he disappeared in a flash, leaving nothing behind but hatred and resentment. She glanced to the passed out Sakura on the bench, and against her better judgement, lifted her onto her back with a grunt and began the long trudge to the girl's home.

In that moment, she knew that Team Seven was no more. Sasuke was gone, Naruto and Sakura were going to fight to bring him back, and she...well, she was going to focus on getting stronger. Just to prove him wrong.

* * *

_**Memoirs of Sakamoto Ayame**_

_ Looking back, I would have never imagined my life to be as it is now; I could blame Fate, or Destiny, hell, maybe even Karma. No, blaming anything other than myself would be completely ignorant, I was taught better than that (even if there are other parties involved in my misfortune). While I continue to live by the ever popular 'Carpe Diem', I can not help but to wonder if there truly is some preordained plan set out for me. Do we choose our own outcomes, or do we simply follow the path which has already been drawn? Had I been asked that question years ago, my response would have been automatic: "Only you can decide what happens in your life- nothing is simply handed out; if you want something, you must work for it. Live in the present, and untrust the future, because anything can change." _

_It's funny how people change though. As we continue to grow and mature, our once juvenile minds become hardened as we are exposed to many different scenarios. We learn that we are human, and that we are not invincible – mistakes happen, whether we want them to or not, and nobody is perfect. Yet, in the world of Shinobi, we are expected to be just that; taught from the tender age of childhood that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and second chances are few and far between. While we should have been maturing and exploring at our own pace, we were instead forced to grow up quicker than most, and put our lives on the line for our village. _**_Shinobi are not born, they are made_**_. Do not get me wrong, I chose this life and it's become a part of me...but if I was given the chance to change it, would I? Maybe things would have been better...Happier... _

_I would have never had to feel the pain I've felt. _

She shut the notebook with a sigh as she rubbed her tired eyes. She was hot on his trail, and sleep had been pushed back in place of finding him quicker. It had been so long since she had felt his chakra signature, that she was afraid that if she fell asleep it would disappear forever and she would be left alone once again.

Her heart wouldn't be able to handle it.

"_To think...he has been in the most obvious of places the entire time." _

She closed her eyes at the voice, fighting to push him back into the depths of her mind. "You probably knew all along. You just enjoy seeing me suffer, don't you?"

The malicious grin was felt throughout her entire being as a deep chuckle resonated in her head. _"Such little faith you have in me, human."_

She scoffed while pulling out a pill from her leg pouch. "My exhaustion has released my hold on you, and sadly, I am in no mood for your snarky comments." Popping the pill in her mouth, she tried to ignore the tug she felt on her brain as the small object slipped down her throat.

Almost instantly, the energy lost from lack of sleep returned with a burst as she jumped to her feet and tightened her cloak as the snow began to fall with the howling wind. It wouldn't be much further until she reached the Land of Iron.

"I've finally found you."

* * *

**A/N: **Here it is, Chapter 1 to my Sasuke story! I think I may be making this a little bit differently than the others. As I want to be able to put the past in as well as the current Shippudden arcs, I may jump back and forth between times during a chapter...though, if that get's too confusing for the readers I can certainly change it! For now, I shall just experiment and hope for the best.

Reviews, critiques, or whatever else are much appreciated and give me the boost/confidence I need to write more chapters. ; )


	2. Memories

_**Memories**_

**Chapter 1**

"She's dead."

Slate eyes widened ever so slightly, though his face remained impassive as control kept his chakra from fluctuating. It was odd that out of the four, Sakura had been the one to speak up about their now-deceased teammate, but as he looked to Naruto he understood why. The blond had his eyes sealed shut, hands fisted and clenching, while his teeth grinded together unnaturally loud.

_I should have been there to save her_. He could practically hear the stupid Dobe's thoughts...Naruto would never change. Though, Sasuke was curious about the means. He shouldn't have been, but he was.

"Do you have nothing to say?" Naruto's voice was laced with malice and venom as he finally opened his eyes to glare at Sasuke. "She's dead because of you! It's all your fault, and yet you stand there with that smug smirk that makes me want to punch you!"

Sasuke's eyes hardened into a glare. _How? Why? _Were those the answers he was looking for...an apology perhaps? Naruto must have been delusional to think that he would give in to those accusations. He was Uchiha Sasuke, an avenger. A vessel full of hatred.

"I don't care."

Sakamoto Ayame meant nothing to him, just as he had meant nothing to her when he left the village. They had come to terms with being strangers. Enemies. He did not care how or why she had died, nor did he care about her death. She was nothing, she did not exist; this just made it all the easier to forget about her completely. There was no room for anything but loathing, he could not afford to dwell on his past. He wouldn't allow himself, because he _**did not care**._

But everyone knows Uchiha to be the best liars.

* * *

_He left...he fucking left! Giving him an ultimatum obviously didn't work, I should have screamed. Tied him up. I just want to wring his stupid little – albeit rather manly – neck! I know I said I would forget about him and act like he never existed, but that's a lot easier to say rather than do. I'm a bluffer, it's my thing. I just can't believe he was willing to cut ties so easily...no regrets, no remorse. _

_Uchiha Sasuke has no heart. _

Ayame halted her writing as her eyes continuously read over the last sentence. She didn't want to believe the words she had written to be true, but it was so obvious that it hurt. Uchiha Sasuke would never care for anything or anyone other than himself and his revenge; he was a heartless asshole that only lived to burn bridges.

It was better to just give up and move on.

"Stupid!" she threw the notebook at the wall with all her might while leering at the picture of Team 7 on the stand beside her bed. "All of you are stupid and useless!"

She slammed the frame roughly, shattering the glass and cutting her palm rather deeply in the process. Cursing, she promptly stood to her feet and rushed to the closet near the living room, grabbed the first-aid kit, then plopped on to the floor. Her rage was momentarily forgotten as she haphazardly wrapped gauze and bandages around the cut – realizing only after the blood began to seep through her mediocre wrap that stitches would probably be necessary.

"I must have done something to piss Karma off..." she stood to her feet once more, leaving the mess on the floor to be dealt with later. "Perhaps it was because I left Sakura on the bench last night... it's not my fault she's so heavy though!" Ayame pouted as she reached for her sandals near the door.

The throbbing in her hand was beginning to progressively irritate her as she was forced to do everything one handedly, and not with her dominant one either. It felt as though the world was crashing down on her all at once, and she could only hold in so much. She was on the brink of a complete teenage meltdown.

"Just because he's unhappy, he forces the rest of the world down with him. Che, what a selfish prick."

Slamming the door open, Ayame stomped outside and glared at the rising sun before shutting and locking the entrance. Her temper was boiling, and she was sure that one wrong look would send her over the edge. Wherever that was. Instead, she focused all of her attention into applying pressure to her wound and making it to the hospital in one piece.

At least, that was what she had been hoping for, moments before colliding in to someone with enough force to knock her on to the cold hard ground. The shock and pain that coursed through her back, as well as her injured hand, caused her to gasp from the sudden discomfort, but the throbbing jolts were short lived as her anger quickly took to the surface.

"What the fu – "

"Ayame-chan!" the orange-clad shinobi hastily jumped to his feet with a look of both relief and remorse. "I didn't mean to bump into you like that, we were in a rush and – "

"You're always in a rush, asshole! Try getting places at a normal walking pace for once in your life!"

Naruto flinched at her words, then quickly brought his attention to the red-stained wrapping around her hand. "Ayame-chan, your hand...it's bleeding."

She scoffed. "No shit."

"Naruto, we don't have time for this." Shikamaru glanced between the two with a look of urgency. "Ayame, we are gathering whoever we can to help bring Sasuke back to the village. He left for Orochimaru last night, according to Sakura. Tsunade-sama has only given me thirty minutes to gather a group before we have to leave – "

"Yeah, Ayame-chan, you have to come with us!"

Standing to her feet with a slight wince, Ayame looked darkly at the two as she began to walk away. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?" Naruto jumped in front of her and gripped her shoulders. "This is Sasuke, our teammate. We have to bring him back!"

She pushed his hands away. "He's already made his decision, Naruto. Leave him to be a traitor... I don't care if he ever comes back."

"You can't possibly mean that..."

"I do. I saw him last night, and he made it pretty clear that he doesn't care for anything other than revenge. He'll kill you before giving that up." she glanced back at Shikamaru, then pushed her way passed Naruto. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have a hand that needs to be attended to."

Naruto made to chase after her, but Shikamaru's hand stopped him. "We can't force her to, Naruto. We don't have much time left, let's keep looking."

He gave a half-hearted nod as he glanced back to the disappearing silhouette of his teammate. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

The cold winter wind brought her back from her reverie as she looked at her glove covered hand. The scar had faded substantially, but she knew it was never going to get any lighter than its current color. It was always going to be there as a reminder of the day Team Seven began to disintegrate. She was alone now.

"_Alone? Have you forgotten about me then?" _

Ayame bit her inner cheek in annoyance, but said nothing. Perhaps he would leave her alone if she continued to ignore his presence.

"_A few measly energy pills are not enough to lock me away. You are growing weaker with every passing day, and from your constant wanderings in the wrong directions, I feel it is safe to assume you are more lost than you'd like to let on." _the voice chuckled inside her head. _"Let me help you." _

"Why would you want to help me?" she smirked. "If it is truly out here, then I will be one step closer to summoning your brother, thus being able to lock you out completely."

"_You forget, young human, that you need to be able to work as one with me to be able to summon him – and while I do like having complete control, having to listen and deal with the repercussions of your teenage angst is beginning to become bothersome. Call it a change of heart, if you will, but the sooner we bring him out, the sooner we will be able to unleash our full potential."_

"So either way, it will be benefiting you." she replied with mild sarcasm. "How kind."

"_It will be beneficial to you as well," _he growled deeply as annoyance flooded her senses. _"You should be grateful to have even been chosen, brat." _

"Grateful? I never tried to unlock any ancient family heirlooms, alright. You are the one who found me to be strong enough to carry out the duties that have now been placed on my shoulders. You are the one who chose me, not the other way around."

"_Destiny is a funny thing, isn't it." _

"Genbu," she said softly, her demeanor lacking its past resolve. "Is it really here? Is he really..."

"_Yes." _

She sighed. "Then perhaps you are right. Working together will be beneficial for us in the long run."

"_Then you do have a brain in that head of yours," _he laughed deeply. _"Give me sight, and I can show you the way." _

"I would have to release my chakra, which will alert those around us."

"_They will not harm you. But on the off chance they try, we shall kill them all easily." _

Inhaling a deep breath, Ayame removed the glove on her right hand and stuffed it into the pocket inside her thick cloak, then proceeded to remove the unattached sleeve on her left arm and store it in the same pocket as her glove. The bitter cold gave her uncovered skin goosebumps, but she ignored the uncomfortable feeling as she looked at the black tattoo in the center of her inner forearm; the serpent-like creature's body was positioned to resemble a swirl.

Biting into her right thumb, she quickly smeared the small drop of blood on the tattoo then made a few handsigns, finishing with a smack to her forearm. Instantly, the tattoo began to unwind itself and grow as it instead wound its snake-like body around her entire arm, it's head stopping near her wrist and popping up from the skin. The mouth opened widely as a red hilt of a sword was pushed from the orifice and her right hand gripped it firmly while pulling the rest of it out. She slid the sheath next to one of her other swords in the holster, before grabbing her glove and returning it to her frozen hand. Silently, she tried to envision all possible outcomes in her mind as she kept her left hand placed loosely over the red hilt, while Genbu's anticipation reverberated throughout her entire being.

"_Just a small push is all you need to give me the sight I so desire. You already know where each of the samurai are, so what's the problem?" _

"Unlike you," she said rather crassly, her eyes closed. "I like to go into these types of situations with some sort of plan. Brute force is nothing without prior assessments, and I would rather not kill if I don't have to."

He scoffed. _"Killing tends to get the point across. Letting too many people live will cause you to look weak, brat." _

"Times have changed, dear Genbu-_sama_," her tone was laced with sarcasm as she stood straight and tightened her hold on the katana. "We kill only if we must, understood?"

"_Yeah, whatever." _

Mentally rolling her eyes at his irreverence, she decided that arguing was going to get them nowhere fast, and so swiftly, she pushed the black blade up ever slightly from the sheath which caused an enormous amount of pressure and chakra to radiate from its being. It took much concentration and willpower to try and subdue it, though their position had already been made obvious to the surrounding samurai on duty.

Opening her left eye – the iris now taking on a deep red color, while the pupil slitted to resemble something reptilian – she viewed her current surroundings with new light. The heat signatures of animals amongst the snow were simple to spot, and she could see quite clearly through the blizzard winds ahead. She had to go northwest.

Molding the black chakra around her body, she made a quick escape towards her destination. The warmth that surrounded her frigid muscles made moving all the easier, and she was grateful to be making even better time, even if it meant giving Genbu temporary control.

"They are quick," she glanced back, noticing the orange and red forms of the guards on their tail. "I expected that armor to slow them down a bit."

"_They're a force to reckoned with." _his gruff reply did not make her feel any better. _"They are adept in fighting and tracking in this type of weather – shit!" _

A sword with chakra channeling through the blade came slashing down, and it was only by Ayame's quick reflexes that it didn't hit its target. If that had landed, she was sure a limb would be missing.

"Where did he come from?!" she cried to Genbu as yet another attack was dodged.

"_They're tricky bastards!" _he growled while moving her right hand to grip the hilt of the red katana and bring the blade from its protective sheath. _"This is why I told you to be prepared to kill!" _

The two blades clashed loudly, the sound ringing throughout the barren snow desert; black metal against brightly lit silver. Genbu pulsated his chakra through the blade, and in seconds, the Samurai's shattered into pieces as Ayame jumped back and situated herself for the next attack. There was more than one sword in that suit of armor.

Shocked from the outcome, the Samurai pulled another sword out and aimed it at her. "Why are you here?"

"I..." she hesitated, which only caused the Samurai to spring forward and release his blade in a whip-like fashion, catching her off guard and slicing her shin. Falling to the ground in pain, she gritted her teeth while gripping onto her bleeding limb. "You didn't even give me a chance to explain!"

"It was a rhetorical question. Any outsider lurking through our lands is already dead."

_Does he even know what a rhetorical question is?_ She thought bitterly while standing to her feet once more. He was fast, that was for sure, but she had figured out his fighting style quickly enough to not make the same mistake twice. It was over for him.

In a flash, she was behind him, finding his blind spot to also hold the sweet spot of the armor. In one quick motion she lifted her blade and made to destroy his protection, but her attack was cut off by another sword stopping the blow.

"Stop at once!" the voice of the samurai next to her boomed through his mask. "Halt all actions, she is not a threat!"

Not a threat?

"_I told you...we should have killed him while we had the chance." _Genbu mocked lazily.

Jumping back a few feet, making sure to land on her good leg, Ayame re-sheathed her sword, much to Genbu's displeasure, and looked to the new arrivals with distrust. The one who had spoken must have been the leader, for he was the only one to have horns on his helmet. Though, why he assumed her to be nonthreatening was beyond her. She could have killed them all in seconds.

"Sakamoto Ayame?"

Her gaze – her left eye had returned to its normal blue iris – hardened as she subconsciously gripped to one of her regular swords under her cloak. "Who's asking?"

The icy silence chilled her, but the feeling was short lived as the samurai began to laugh obnoxiously, causing her to frown. What was so funny?

"Still as crude as always, little Ayame-chan!"

"Who are you?!" She yelled suddenly, her anger and distrust flaring even more.

"Calm down, calm down," The samurai removed his helmet and gave her a wide smile. "Miss me?"

The shock was clearly evident on her face as her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. There was no way...he was here. He was alive. "You...I thought..."

"I was dead?" He smiled mischievously. "That was the point."

"_I told you – " _

_You never said Kaito was alive as well. _She thought back bitterly before shutting Genbu out completely. She moved ever closer to the man (yes, he had grown into a man) as her eyes began to water and her lip trembled. The gods weren't as cruel as she had once thought. "You..."

"Yes?" he smiled.

"You..." she was in front of him now, her stature much smaller than his, but it did not deter her. "Jerk!" she roughly pushed into his armor, causing him to fall on to his back into the cold snow as she straddled his waist and began to beat mercilessly into his chest plate with tears dripping down her face. He laid still, allowing her to release her pent up frustrations and anger. She deserved at least that much.

In those few moments, he had observed her changed personality, and although she sat on top of him crying, much like her old self, he knew that part of her life was dead and gone. It wasn't the same, and it never would be. She had been pushed to her breaking point when they had 'died', and her newly formed bond with The Great Dragon Brothers proved it. She had broken down and given up, only to be built back up into someone much stronger, darker. That child-like innocence was forever gone.

"Ayame, stop." his voice held no force, no emotion. It just pissed her off even more.

"Stop? I won't stop until I know you've felt the pain I've felt these last two years!" she began to punch even harder as she pushed chakra into her blows. "Both you and Takeshi!"

At this, he gripped her wrist, effectively stopping her. "Stop it!" his gaze lowered and his grip loosened. "Takeshi..."

"He's alive, I know he is!"

"Will you calm down?!" he pushed her body off of his own and stood to his feet. "He's alive, but...he can't remember anything."

"What do you mean he can't remember anything?" she barked back.

"Exactly that. His memory has been blocked or something, and we've been trying for months to bring it back, yet nothing. He doesn't even remember you, Ayame." his tone softened at his last words, knowing full well that they were not what she wanted to hear. It had taken her two years to find them, and although she was angry beyond belief, he was sure she was excited at the thought of meeting her brother once again. But not like this. "The old man, Shichirou, believes that you are the only one that can return them...with the help of Byakko."

"_Of course," _Genbu spat loathingly. _"Byakko the great and powerful is the only one who can help. How annoying." _

Ayame remained kneeling in the snow, her legs numbing from the cold, much like the rest of her body. She had gone blank as she stared at the fluffy white snow in front of her, her arms trembling. His memory was gone? Byakko? It was all too much to take in, and yet, in this dark moment, she found resolve. She was stronger than this...she had endured much worse.

"Take me to him," she demanded as she rose to her feet, her blue eyes burning into Kaito's green ones. "I will summon Byakko, even if it takes everything I have...I will return Takeshi's memories."

Kaito looked at her skeptically, but nodded his head. "Come with us, Sakamoto Ayame."

Determination burned in her eyes as sharp pains shot throughout her leg with each landing, though she followed Kaito and the others without complaint. The simple mantra of, 'Pain is simply weakness leaving the body', was the only thing pushing her forward.

* * *

The journey wasn't long, but Kaito could see from the corner of his eye that the wound on her leg had been bothering her more than she let on. The small amount of perspiration on her forehead and her ragged breaths was enough evidence. This was not the same girl he had once known. Her dark plum hair, once kept short, now reached well passed her back, while her bangs were cut straight in a fringe that barely touched her lashes, and two thick chunks of layered hair brushed her cheek bones. Her light blue eyes that used to hold such innocence and shine, seemed dull and aged, while an almost permanent frown marred her pretty face. She was practically unrecognizable, save for the beauty spot right below her left eye. Ayame was turning into a beautiful young woman, he couldn't deny that, though she would have been even prettier had her once youthful and carefree face remained. It was as if she had lived the life of someone twice her age in the short two years he had been away.

"This is it?" she inquired rudely while looking up at the large, snow covered boulder with a frown.

"It is the entrance," he shot back curtly. "You would do best to mind your tongue when conversing with Shichirou and his wife, Yuuna. They are the elders and leaders of this place...their ways are old fashioned, and they will not tolerate those younger than them mouthing off."

She gave a loud scoff but said nothing else. Some old farts weren't going to demand her respect just because of their age; they needed to earn it.

Kaito gave her a slight glare, but didn't respond. It would have been fruitless anyway. Instead, he nodded to his platoon, who then made quick handsigns while chanting something foreign. Moments later, the large boulder began to shake and slide underground as a snow-covered path up a large and hidden mountain awaited them.

_Great, more walking,_ she thought bitterly while Genbu merely laughed inside her mind. It wouldn't have been so bad had her leg not been sliced and diced just a few hours before. But she refused to voice her discomfort.

"If you need help, I could carry – "

"I'm fine." she said quickly through gritted teeth.

"Suit yourself, kid." he replied with a wave of his hand as he began his ascent to the top of the mountain, closely followed by the other warriors. Only one remained at the entrance to re-close it, but as soon as he finished that he waited silently for her to make a move.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it..." she mumbled with annoyance before jumping up the slopes in an attempt to catch up to the others. She just wanted to be inside a warm room and falling asleep with a full stomach. Hell, at this point, she'd probably be able to fall into a comfortable slumber in a haystack next to smelly barn animals. Exhausted was an understatement.

With a final leap, she landed not-so-gracefully onto the top ledge, only to be helped up by Kaito, who was smirking in a way that made her want to punch him. He knew she was lying about her pain level, damn.

"I must admit that your lying has gotten much better, but with your speed and stamina, you should have been up here way before me." he said knowingly with a large grin. "Guess Daisuke must have hit you pretty well."

"Something like that..." she replied in embarrassment as she pushed away from his grip. "Now what?"

"Well, a meeting with the elders is being scheduled for sometime later today, so that means you have time to recuperate for a bit. Meaning, getting that leg of yours checked out, then putting some food in your system. You look like hell...you obviously haven't eaten a real meal in days."

"Aren't you just an observant one?" she said in contempt while giving him a bored look. "Lead the way, Kaito-baka."

"Oi! Respect your elders, you brat!" he moved to punch her head lightly, but she dodged at the last second, causing him to fall flat on his face into the snow. To his surprise, she laughed. He looked up ever slightly to see her holding her sides as her cheeks turned red from the lack of oxygen, while her closed eyes crinkled, and a smile graced her ivory face.

He could only smile as his heart lifted. _Maybe the old her wasn't completely gone._

* * *

__Just something short to waste even more of your time ;). This will probably be the last chapter in which I add a random flashback scene, because it's a bit...well, random. haha. From here on out, it will present time, and since Ayame won't be meeting Sasuke for a bit, I will write a few scenes from his perspective, just so we can still get some Sasuke action going on and not go into snoozefest from Ayame's bitter-teen-angst-crazy-bipolar-mood-swings.

Uhhh, that should do it...I'll have a more in-depth explanation on my LiveJournal for anyone interested (Link on my page) in some more information. Until next chapter!

-I.N


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